An armed person with a sword broke into the Brinell school in the town of Fagersta, in central Sweden, this Friday. So far, the police have confirmed one dead and several injured. The attacker was arrested by the police, according to the municipality of this town of about 12,000 inhabitants.
The mayor’s office explained the seriousness of the event in a statement: “An armed person with a sword entered Brinell school and injured several.” The municipality did not specify the exact number of injured but confirmed that the security forces were maintaining the school registry, a center with 447 students, and that several schools in the area had been confined as a precaution. The official press conference scheduled for the afternoon had to be postponed because “a rescue operation” was still underway at the site.
According to the newspaper Aftonbladet, at least two people were injured in the attack, while the attacker was subdued after receiving a gunshot wound to the leg by the officers. Meanwhile, the public broadcaster SVT detailed that several ambulances, patrol cars, and a police helicopter were deployed outside the premises.
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Reactions from the Government and the Opposition
The motive for the attack has not been immediately clarified. The Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, spoke about the event stating that “today a serious incident took place at a school in Fagersta, just after the summer holidays.” Kristersson added in his statement: “There are reports of injured people. We still do not know what is behind the attack, but we do know that the police are working extremely intensively.”
For her part, the leader of the Social Democratic opposition, Magdalena Andersson, lamented the “terrible news” through the social network X. “When violence takes place in a school, I know it affects our entire country. All of Sweden stands with Fagersta in this very difficult moment,” wrote the leader.
